Artificial fish-bait



(No Model.) w

- C. R. HARRIS.

ARTIFIGIAVL'FISH BAIT.

" .flttorny NITED STATES CHARLES R. HARRIS, OF CHICAGO, I'LINOIS. i

ARTIFlclAL FlsH-BAIT.

sPEcIIcA'rIoN fmning; pm of Letters Patent' Np. 588,729, 24, 1897.

Appumion fiiea January 14,1897. sensi No. 819.182. (mniam: i

VTo all wh'om it may cocrn:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R.) HARRrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at` Ch`icago, in-the county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Fish-Bait; and I do herebyde'clare the-following to 'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as wil enable-others skilled in the art 'to which it appertains to make'and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifi cation.

This invention relates to fishing-tackle, and has particular reference to artificial bait; and it consists in the construction .and formation' of parts, as herein'after fully set forth, and poin-ted' out particularly in the claims.

The 'object of the invention is to-,prov idea fish'fbait constructed of cork in, imitation of a h'ai'ural frog both as to its'formation and colorng, and which is so balanced as to attainfthe natural attitude of a frog while in the-Water, and which is provided with. books or other barbed prongs so positioned as to catch in the mouth of a fish when snapping or endeavoring to`swallow saidfrog.

Other objects of advantage as to its manufacture and general make up and manner of providing the frog with detachable catchinghooks and a removable balance-weight will be more particularly described, and which features are illustrated in the accompanying drawi'ngs, in which-- A Figure 1 is agcneral perspecti ve view-of an artificial frog as made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is longitudinal section through Fig'. 1, the back of the body and its memb .and securingl the lower extremities of the trunk; Fig, 4 is an enlaged perspective view "of the under side of aieg, showing the pari ticular constructionthcreof. Fig. 5 is a side `elevation of the trunk and head, showin g the location and manner of securiug the bellywire, also manner of rem ovably attaching the balance-weight. Fig. G is a viewjsimilar to Figi, showing the lower extremities formed .5 q integral with'the trunk, as by casting or' moldersfbeinglremoved. Fig. 3 is an` en-' 'detai'shewingithe mannerof'winding" ing,.and having strengthening-wires embedl ded in said trunk and-extending into the 'legs thereof. o i *s i Referring to the nu'merals'of reference, 1| designates the trunk, and 2 the lower extremtities or legs, all of which are cmposed of. z cork having a less'specifie gravity than water.`

3 and 3' indicate wires formed of any suit- 'able metal and of the proper gage,which wires are .bent to conform with the conturs of the legs and which are placed in grooves in opposite sides of said legs, so that their out-er si des will lie flush with the surface thereof. The ends of the wires are extended for some disw tance beyond the upper portion' of the legs and are passed parallel with each other diagonally through the trunk, as shown in' Fig. 2, so as to protrude therefrom oppsite the side' to which its respective leg is attached. When said wires 3 3' have been passed through the trunk, as set forth,they are drawn upon -tol j bring their respective legs in close proximity to the base of the trunk, when they are 'cut ,off the proper distance from dsaid trunk and passed thereinto again at a different angle from that at which they protruded.

To restrain the legs from bending upward 'from a plane with the truhk, I secure a cord 4 (which may be either a singlev strand or a cord composed of several strands).aroundf the ankles of the legs, emb'racing the cork and wires, as shown by dotted lines at the ankle in Fig. 4, and then pass said strand upward in the direction of the trunk along the under g surface of the leg and fasten it in anysuitable manner to said trunk. Said strand may be secured at on`e point in the t'runk or it' may be unwound, asshown at 15, and the ,several ends sccurely fastened in the trunk, as found 'expedient; w v i In order to further secure the legs to the trunk and to protect the, corkV from being. bitten or broken away and to give them a better Outline, I wind linen, Silk, or-other threads 5 from the ankles up the legs to the trunk, when said strands are brought together and wound` for a distance upward' around said trunk. They are then passed through the eye of a suitable needle 01' sewing device and sesved through the base of the trunk, preferably so roc within said trunk.

w of cork may be thrown considerably fart-her 'the belly-wire, eyes, and hoolt's,

as to pass through the diamond formed by and desire to secure by the wires 3 and 8' where they cross each other what I claim as new,

Letters Patent, is-. 1

' 1. As a new article of manufacture, an artifieial fish-bait, construeted of cork without internal cavities in the form of a natural frog, animal or insect; balance-weight attached thereto, a loop at its forward end for engagement with a fish-line, and a hook or other barbed prong secured to the body and ankles of said bait, the barbs being located distant from the body portion for the purpose set forth.

2. A fish-bait, the same consisting of a cork trunk having legs secured thereto, a belly- NVhen the winding has been completed, the f rog is eolored or tinted to represent a natural frog, which may be done with any suitable substance preferably of a waterproof nature.

Vhen the ooloring has been completed and become dry, the belly-wire 6 is placed in position and a suitable wire 'Z secured thereto and passed upward through the trunk and returned therethrough on the opposite side of said belly-wire. Said Wire 7 is then cut off and formed into a coil 8, into which an eye 9, swiveled in a balance-weight. 10, is adapted to be turned. The forward end of the bellywire G is provided with an ey'e or loop 11 and the rear portion thereof is form-ed into a return-bend 6',.for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

`Whcn the manufacture thus far has been completed, the head is pierced at the sides thereof and the wires 12 of the eyes 13 passed downward therethrough and seeured about the belly-.wire, as shown in Fig. 5.

14 and l-f' represent fish-books, the eyes of which are passed over the curved portion (3' of the belly-wire and their shanks secured to the anklcs of the frog in any suitable manner, as by binding thereto with suitable threads, as shown in Fig. 1, or in such away that said hooks may be readily removed and new ones attaehed should they become broken or their use otherwise impaired.

Fig. (i represents a frog which is molded or cast.` The strengthcning-wires 3 3' being securcd or held in the Vertical center of a suitable mold, said mold being then filled up with a pulp eomposed of granulated or pulverized eork and glue or other suitable adhesive inl a plastic or comprcssible state, when a (lie corresponding in outline with said mold is forecd down upon the matter eontained in said mold sufliciently to cause the pulp to relaiii the proper shape, when it may be taken out and dried in any suitable manner. When the frog thus formed has become hardencd, it may be tinted or colored andequipped with as described 'forward end of said wire, and

a fish-hook. re-

a loop at the the curved portion at the rear, movably secured to the rear belly-Wire and extending beyond the feet of said frog, said feet and legs of the frog being incapable of. movement independent of the body substantially as shown and described.

3. As a new article of manufaeture, a fishbait composed of eork and made in imitation of a natural frog, consisting of the separate trunk and legs, rim-wires extending around said legs, and entering said trunk, a loop at the forward end of the trunk for engagement with a line, a belly-wire fastened to the under side of said trunk by means of the wire 7, said 'wire being formed into a coil, into which the turned, the eyes in the frog`s head also secur'ed to said belly'iw'ire by passing'their se1 curing-wires through the head and eoiling them therearound, the rear portion of the belly-wire 'curvin g forward from between the legs, the lish-hooks removably attaehed to the ankles of the legs and having their eyes passed over the eurved port-ion of said belly-wire.

i. As a new article of mannfacture, a frog consisting of a trunk formed of cork or other suitable material having a less specific gravity than water, the legs formed separate from said trnnk and fastened thereto by wires 3, 3', a strengthening-eord extending along the under side of each leg and secured in said trunk, the windings 5 cxtending around the legs from the ankles f'rward and also around the trunk for a portion of its length and secured therein in any suitable manner, the paint or other water1n'oof-coating covering said trunk and lcgs, a balance-weight removably secured to the under side of said trunk, and a shank of a suitable fish-hook attached to each leg and removably attaehed to said belly-'wire substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whcreof I ailix my signature in presenee of two witncsses.

CHARLES lt. ll Altltlh'.

l'or the frog shown in Fig. l.

lt will now be understood that a frog, reptile, animal, or inseet made in aeeordanee, with the description set forth and composed in casting a line than where said bait is made hollow. lt will also be seen that by reason of'lhe sinker or balance-weight being pivoted so as to have/considerable'lateral swing it will he impossible l'or said frog to remriin'upon its back when in the water, as the lendency ol' Isaid weight is to roll either to one side or lheotht'r and lhus turn the iron' with it. i y

llaving thus fully .set orth. my invcntion,

said bait having a movable portion of said' wire exteuding along the under side thereof,

eye of a balance-weight is adapted to be i IDG IIO 

